Consultants for Full Inclusive Business Plan Preparation Training

Terms of Reference for Consultants for Full Inclusive Business plan preparation training

Position Title:  Short-term National Consultant
Location:  Hanoi, Lao Cai, and Son La
Period:  October- December 2018
Inputs:  Approximately 37 working days for key trainer
Reporting To:  Deputy Team Leader

1. Background

The Aus4Equality|GREAT project is a socio-economic development initiative working in Son La and Lao Cai provinces and funded through the Australian Aid Program in Vietnam. The Program aims to increase women’s economic participation and decision-making through improved access to markets and more effective engagement in the agriculture and tourism value chains in ethnic minority regions of North-West Vietnam. The objectives of the Aus4Equality|GREAT are:

• Objective 1 - Empowering local women: Women living in local communities have increased capacity, space and choices to beneficially engage with agriculture and tourism businesses.
• Objective 2 – Inclusive businesses partnerships: Selected private sector actors within the agriculture and tourism sectors innovate to profitably and sustainably trade with more women entrepreneurs and operate in gender sensitive ways.
• Objective 3 – Improving sector governance and policy: Government agencies reinforce policies, and enact plans, regulations and services that enable more inclusive socio-economic development.

The programme will be implemented in Son La and Lao Cai provinces with total funding of over AUD 33 million. Of this, AUD 18,500,000 will be invested through multiple co-investment agreements. Three funding schemes on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Policy Funding (Fund 1), Inclusive Business Funding (Fund 2) and Innovation Funding (Fund 3) have been designed to co-invest in promising solutions to achieve the Programme Objectives. In total the Programme will work with up to 70 – 80 partners in the two provinces.

Provincial People’s Committees of Son La and Lao Cai are the Program owners. Within each Province a Project Management Unit (PMU) works collaboratively with CowaterSogema as the DFAT-appointed Managing Contractor to provide essential coordination, liaison and advisory roles.

Aus4Equality|GREAT will award non-reimbursable funding to Vietnam-based enterprises through competitive calls for inclusive business plans that propose innovative business solutions to increase their profitability as well as to benefit women involved in the company supply chain and be commercially sustainable in the long run. Matching fund is available for up to 49% total investment cost per inclusive business plan in two sectors – agriculture and tourism.

The first Round of Call for Concept Notes for Fund 1 and Fund 2 has been launched in Son La on August 10, 2018 and in Lao Cai on August 21, 2018. Aus4Equality|GREAT is preparing for selection of shortlisted applicants applied for Fund 1 and business applicants for Fund 2. It is expected that between 10-15 shortlisted business applicants will be selected from the First Calls for Business Concept Notes.

In order to support shortlisted business applicants to develop full inclusive business plan, Aus4Equality|GREAT Programme will provide 2 training course of 3-day which will be followed by coaching sessions to some local cooperatives as needed.

Aus4Equality|GREAT Programme is seeking for experienced trainers to develop and deliver the inclusive business plan preparation training and to provide coaching to some shortlisted applicants who are local-based cooperatives on full inclusive business plan development.

Subject to good performance of the business consultants, two similar training courses for the shortlisted business applicants to be selected from the Second Call for Inclusive Business Concept Notes. These two training courses are planned for January/February 2019.

2. Scope of Work

The objectives of the assignment:

• To equip shortlisted business applicants with overall tools and guidance for preparing viable and feasible Inclusive Business Plan.
• To enhance the quality of full inclusive business plan for local based cooperatives as needed.

The consultants will perform 3 following tasks:

1) To develop training programme and material in Vietnamese in close cooperation with Aus4Equality|GREAT team. Tentatively, training should cover at least the following topics:

• Introduction of Aus4Equality|GREAT’s, gender responsive and Inclusive Business models in the two target sectors of agriculture and tourism

• Introduction of inclusive business plan development;

• Aus4Equality|GREAT’s business plan template and requirements which has been drafted by GREAT
  
  • Project feasibility study including market, technical
  • Business models;
  • Business solutions and activity planning;
  • Financial planning and project cash flow;
  • Impact estimation;
  • Project management, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Risks

• Business cases & examples;

• Other topics as considered needed by the trainers and/or Aus4Equality|GREAT team. Aus4Equality|GREAT’s team will work closely with trainer’s team during the material development.

2) Deliver the training: tentatively 2 training courses of 3-day each will be conducted in late October 2018 in Son La and early November 2018 in Lao Cai. The training includes introduction of concepts, tools and follow by practical exercises that cover topics required in the full inclusive business plan template. Participatory and learner-centered methodology during the training will be applied to ensure the interaction between trainers and participants and among participants through group exercise, discussions.

3) Coaching on full business plan development for local based cooperatives: The consultants will conduct field visits to maximum 6 shortlisted cooperatives to get a rough idea on business situation and provide technical coaching and support to enhance the quality of their full business plans to be submitted.

3. Deliverables

Deliverable 1: A package of training materials on inclusive business planning: including training programme, training handout, trainer notes and exercises in Vietnamese.

The draft training material package must be submitted to GREAT at least 1 week before the first training course for GREAT comments. The final package of training materials must be in place at least 3 days prior the first training.

Deliverable 2: training evaluation report

At the end of each training course, the consultants are required to conduct an end-of -training evaluation and write a short report on results, issues, areas of improvement and recommendations to GREAT for improvement in the following courses.

Deliverable 3: Submission of maximum 6 quality full inclusive business plans by supported cooperatives in each province by 29 November in Son La province and 3 December in Lao Cai province.

4. Qualifications

• Holding master’s degree in business administration
• At least 5 years of experience in business management, business consultancy, business plan training and supporting companies to develop full business plans
• Excellent training skills including designing and delivering training
• Project experience in inclusive business, value chain development, market system development, private sector development
• Familiar with feasibility study, financial modeling and investment and social impact assessment;

5. Timing

The assignment is expected to start in October till December 2018 in Son La and Lao Cai provinces as presented in the table 1 below

6. Application

Interested consultants should send their most updated CV (with details of at least two referees), a proposal, and at least one sample of previous work to [email protected] [1], indicating “Inclusive Business Plan Training” in the subject, before COB September 30, 2018.